Recon: Sanofi to sell $13B stake in Regeneron; Merck to buy vaccine maker Themis Bioscience

• Regeneron to buy back $5 billion stake held by Sanofi (Reuters) (Financial Times)
• Merck to buy Austrian vaccine maker as it jumps into COVID-19 race (Reuters) (STAT)
• FDA shuffles longtime division head, Janet Woodcock, to focus exclusively on Covid-19 vaccine project (STAT)
• Evofem's gel first non-hormonal contraceptive to get approval in over 30 years (Reuters)
• NIH trial: Gilead's drug works best in COVID patients on oxygen (Reuters) (NYTimes) (NEJM)
• Russian ventilators reached US states without FDA oversight (Reuters)
• Novavax launches its first coronavirus vaccine test on humans (Reuters)
• US plans massive coronavirus vaccine testing effort to meet year-end deadline (Reuters)
• US is ahead of China in vaccine race, former FDA chief says (Politico)
• Uncertain Results in Study of Convalescent Serum for Covid-19 (NYTimes) (Reuters)
• How Upbeat Vaccine News Fueled a Stock Surge, and an Uproar (NYTimes)
• Fears of coronavirus second wave prompt flu push at US pharmacies, drugmakers (Reuters)

• WHO pauses trial of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients due to safety concerns (Reuters)
• Fujifilm COVID-19 drug research spills into June, dashing hopes of quick approval (Reuters)
• Lilly, Junshi Biosciences plan to start human trials of COVID-19 antibody in second quarter (Reuters)
• Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine trial has 50 per cent chance of 'no result' (The Telegraph)
• Big pharma rejected EU plan to fast-track vaccines in 2017 (The Guardian)
• How one Indian company could be world's door to a COVID-19 vaccine (Reuters)
• CanSino coronavirus vaccine appears safe in first human trial (Reuters) (NYTimes)
• First signs if a COVID-19 vaccine works possible in autumn: GAVI (Reuters)
• Global fundraising for COVID-19 vaccine, drugs exceeds $10 billion, EU says (Reuters)
• Disruption to global immunization system could delay COVID-19 vaccinations (Reuters)
• Cuba credits two drugs with slashing coronavirus death toll (Reuters)
• India's Glenmark to study potential COVID-19 drug combination (Reuters)
• Healthineers ready to boost antibody test production to 50 million per month (Reuters)

• Trump imposes travel restrictions on Brazil (The Hill)
• EU frees up export of coronavirus protection equipment (Reuters)
• South America a new COVID epicenter, Africa reaches 100,000 cases (Reuters)
• WHO fears 'silent' virus epidemic unless Africa prioritizes testing (Reuters)
• 'I'm looking for the truth': States face criticism for COVID-19 data cover-ups (NBC)
• Fear of Covid Leads Other Patients to Decline Critical Treatment (NYTimes)
• ‘This Is Not the Hunger Games’: National Testing Strategy Draws Concerns (NYTimes)
• Cipla and Hetero seek clinical trial waiver for Remdesivir (Economic Times)

• PDUFA Renewal Negotiations: What Does Industry Want Now? (Pink Sheet)
• Pharma panics as Washington pushes to bring drug manufacturing back to the U.S. (STAT)
• Argenx antibody drug improves symptoms in patients with myasthenia gravis (STAT)
• Cancer cell therapies: the clinical trial landscape (Nature)
• Tufts team repairs brain defects in frogs with 'bioelectric' drugs (Fierce)
• Stéphane Bancel’s audacity pays off for Moderna (Financial Times)
• ‘One thing cancer patients don’t generally have is time’: New cancer research leader brings urgency to Sanofi (STAT)
• China Tightens Clinical Study Grip In Sweeping Biosecurity Law Proposal (Pink Sheet)
• A Hidden Origin Story of the CBD Craze (NYTimes)
• Sanofi: FDA approves Dupixent® (dupilumab) as first biologic medicine for children aged 6 to 11 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (Press)
• Takeda's Alunbrig wins lung cancer approval; Atara offers another positive MS drug update (Endpoints)
• PhII Alzheimer's data looming, Shionogi spending up to $500M on a buyout involving one of the toughest bets in biotech (Endpoints)
• Alnylam nabs speedy review, setting up 3rd possible approval in 3 years (Endpoints)
• As biotech IPOs sizzle on virtual Wall Street, 3 new players roll the dice on megamoney gambles topping $325M (Endpoints)
• Ex-Axovant crew at Arvelle ups Series A haul, deploying $200M-plus to commercialize epilepsy drug in Europe (Endpoints)
• Monthly statistics report: April 2020 (EMA)
• Identification of Targets for Development of Vaccines and Biological Therapies Against Gastrointestinal Pathogens (FDA)
• Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly to collaborate with Duke Clinical Research Institute on a pragmatic trial examining Jardiance's® effects following an acute myocardial infarction (Press)

• Tech companies target temperature-monitoring patches for COVID-19 (Reuters)
• Martha plots M&A, Hugo robot sees delay: Takeaways from Medtronic's Q4 (MedtechDive)
• ResMed, Medtronic embrace remote tech amid COVID-19, say it's here to stay (MedtechDive)
• Medtechs eye key role of ASCs in return of elective care (MedtechDive)
• FDA clears 4D Medical’s lung imaging technology (MassDevice)

• How H.R. 6800 Might Impact the FDA (Alliance for a Stronger FDA)
• US lawmakers unveil bold $100 billion plan to remake NSF (Science)
• They redesigned PubMed, a beloved website. It hasn’t gone over well (Science)
• Notice: Expansion of the medical device Regulatory Enrolment Process (REP) pilot and the scope for transactions sent via the Common Electronic Submissions Gateway (CESG) (Health Canada)
• Pfizer, Ranbaxy Sued Over Delay Of Generic Lipitor (Law360)
• Amerisource Hid 'Pillbillies' Email In Opioid MDL, Attys Say (Law360)